Civilian Gun Self-Defense Blog

Homeowner opens fire on intruder

A 19-year-old man was shot several times by a homeowner Saturday night after he reportedly broke into the home, police said.

The victim, Stephen Richardson, was taken to an area hospital, where his condition was not immediately available.

Authorities said officers were dispatched at 9:40 p.m. to the home in the 3100 block of West Norman Circle.

Officers said Richardson reportedly was drunk when he entered the house, where the homeowner shot him.

Maj. Mark Irwin said Richardson “thought he was breaking into his (own) house.”

He said he wasn’t sure whether Richardson lived in the vicinity. Officers attempted to interview Richardson, but he was too drunk to be coherent, Irwin said.

Police are investigating the shooting.

Labels: intoxication, OK

Granny Shoots Intruder

An investigation is underway in Pennsylvania after police say a 75-year-old
granny shot a man who allegedly broke into her home.

The woman was sleeping upstairs, when an intoxicated man entered her home. She first asked him politely to leave, but when he proceeded up the stairs she grabbed her 38 caliber revolver and shot the man in the groin.

Turns out the man lives nearby and accidentally walked into the wrong house.

Police are investigating the case, but so far no charges have been filed.

Labels: AL, home invasion, intoxication

Tulsa Homeowner Shoots Man Trying To Break Into House

A Tulsa homeowner shoots a man police say was causing all sorts of problems near 34th & Riverside.

Shortly before midnight, police were called to Riverside Drive because a man was seen screaming and shouting at cars driving by.

About 10 minutes later, police received another call from a homeowner about the man trying to break into his house.

The homeowner was on the phone with a 911 operator and told police he had a gun. He left the phone off the hook and the operator heard several shots fired.

The homeowner told police the man had to break into his home and was shouting threats at him.

That’s when he grabbed his gun and opened fire, hitting the man in the right leg.

"When officers arrived, they found him in the flower bed at the front of the house and he still had enough energy to fight and resist officers. It took a few officers to get him into custody, but he was eventually placed in handcuffs,” says Captain Richard Alexander.

The man was taken to St. John Medical center with non-life threatening injuries. Police say the man was still very drunk. The man could possibly face charges of first-degree burglary and maybe charges on the other houses that he tried to break into. Police say it also look like he tried to vandalize a car.

Police say because the homeowner was in fear for his life he could be protected under the “Make My Day” law against unlawful intrusion.

Labels: home invasion, intoxication, OK

Florida Man Shot Entering Home Mistaken as His Own

A 24-year-old Orlando man was shot twice after accidentally entering a neighbor's home, thinking it was his own.

The Orange County Sheriff's Office said James Conway was in stable condition Thursday. Deputies were called to a suspected burglary and found Conway moaning on the floor, saying he'd been shot in his own town house.

Investigators said 61-year-old Berty DeGuzman admitted firing at Conway. He said he thought he was being robbed.

Conway was alert, but allegedly told investigators he had been drinking.

Deputies did not immediately recommend charges against either man. In Florida, it is legal to use deadly force if a person feels they are being threatened by an intruder or attacker.

Labels: FL, home invasion, intoxication

Boise man arrested after handgun standoff on Table Rock

A 37-year-old Boise man is being held in the Ada County Jail on a felony aggravated assault charge after a handgun standoff late Wednesday night on Table Rock.

Damon Glenn Smith was also charged with felony DUI and misdemeanor resisting arrest after the incident, which occurred at 11:48 p.m. Wednesday on top of the Table Rock mesa, a popular sightseeing spot overlooking Boise.

Witnesses told police the trouble started when a car passed Smith’s truck as both vehicles were on the way up to the top of Table Rock.

Witnesses said when Smith got to the top of the mesa, by the giant fluorescent cross which overlooks the city, he got out of his truck and pulled out a handgun, first threatening the driver of the other car, and then pointing it at other people on top of the mesa and threatening them.

At that point, witnesses said the driver of the car Smith first threatened pulled out a 9 mm handgun, pointed it at Smith, and told him he was going to disarm him. That man then took the handgun from Smith and determined it was fake.

Witnesses told police Smith got into his truck and tried to drive away but was stopped by police, who were responding to a 911 call about the fight.

Smith, who appeared visibly intoxicated had a hard time standing and failed field sobriety tests, according to police reports.

When officers went to take him into custody, Smith resisted arrest and had to be physically restrained, Boise Police spokesman Charles McClure said.

The other man involved in the confrontation displayed his handgun legally and police determined he was fully within his rights to defend himself at the time, McClure said.

Labels: altercation, ID, intoxication, road rage

Lake Saint Louis man shoots neighbor he thought was intruder

A Lake Saint Louis man says he shot an intruder that turned out to be his neighbor.

Police said they received a call around 5:30 a.m. Thursday morning from the homeowner, who lives alone in the Harbor Town condominiums located on the western edge of Lake Saint Louis. They arrived to the scene to find the next-door neighbor laying on the floor, shot in the knee and pelvis.

When questioned by police, the homeowner said he was sleeping upstairs when he heard a noise, grabbed his gun and found a person in his downstairs kitchen. The homeowner warned the man three times to not move or he would shoot, police said, but the man continued to approach the homeowner, who was on the staircase.

Police said they suspect the man had been drinking, as his speech was slurred and he smelled of alcohol. He was taken to SSM St. Joseph’s Hospital in St. Charles and is expected to recover.

The case is still under investigation, and the names of both men were not released. Police do not suspect the homeowner of foul play.

Labels: home invasion, intoxication, MO

Homeowner justified in shooting drunken man, S.B. County district attorney's office finds

A 53-year-old San Bernardino homeowner, fearful that he was dealing with a dangerous burglar, was legally justified in killing a drunken man during a 3 a.m. confrontation on the homeowner's front walkway, prosecutors said Thursday.

The finding of justifiable homicide means that no criminal charges will be filed against Brad Nielsen for the June 15 slaying of Joshua Munoz, 23, in the Devil Canyon area of northwest San Bernardino.

Munoz died of a single gunshot wound to the chest. Nielsen wasn't arrested.

"He believed that someone was trying to break into his house," San Bernardino County Supervising Deputy District Attorney Rick Young said. "When he saw (Munoz) near his vehicle, he was justified in confronting him.

"Possibly due to his intoxication, the deceased did not respond in a manner to de-escalate the situation but, instead, began approaching the homeowner who -- at gunpoint -- told him several times to stop."

Nielsen feared for his safety and the safety of his wife and child, he told police.

"He felt that if he let the subject get any closer, they would be in a fight for the gun," Young said by phone. "This tragic homicide was legally justified in self-defense and the defense of others."

Munoz had been drinking and had passed out in his Honda Civic that night, investigators have said.

The car was parked in front of his girlfriend's home and across the street from Nielsen's two-story home in the 6400 block of North Ventura Avenue.

Efforts to reach Nielsen and Munoz's girlfriend and aunt on Thursday were unsuccessful.

"He was a kid who drank too much and walked into the wrong yard," Cindy Ledbetter, the mother of Munoz's girlfriend, said earlier. "The whole thing is senseless."

Nielsen was awakened by noises, armed himself with a pistol and walked outside to investigate, police have said.

It remains unclear why Munoz was on Nielsen's property.

"He probably got disoriented and thought he was going into his girlfriend's house," Young Said. "It's a tragedy."

Labels: CA, intoxication, trespassing

Neighbors Chase, Draw Gun on Intruders

A drunken man was arrested Friday night after going on a crime spree while riding his bike near Oso Bay.

Police said the man first held up a group of kids at a Flour Bluff apartment complex with a knife.

Then, one of the kid's relatives followed the man to a Paul Jones neighborhood and tried to chase him out of two homes.

The romp ended with a gunshot.

Before then, Carol Wright was hanging Christmas lights outside when two men suddenly ran around the side of her house.

Wright said a 24-year-old man "pushed me against the wall, went in the house, closed and dead-bolted the door. I heard the lock."

Police said the man who pushed his way into Wright's home was running from another man after an attempted stabbing at the Wharf Apartments.

Officers said the man was drunk when he rode his bike up to a group of kids there.

"They were out playing in the park," said Capt. John Houston of the Corpus Christi Police Department. "He then pulled out what they describe as looking like a machete or large knife. The guy threatened him. He swung at one of the kids, allegedly."

A couple of the kids ran into an uncle's apartment nearby. The uncle, in turn, chased the drunken man to Wright's home off of Paul Jones.

The man bolted out of that home and barged into a couple's home next door.

"They ran to the front door to keep him from coming in," Houston said. "He started yelling that there was people trying to kill him and that they had guns. They called 911."

The homeowner eventually got the other man out of his home. But by that time, the kids' uncle was pounding on his front door.

The homeowner fired a shotgun into the air to get them both off of his property.

Police later arrested the drunken bicycle rider.

After watching the ordeal play out, Wright was not quick to get back to her Christmas decorating.

"I've decided," Wright said, "my lights are going up in the morning."

Labels: home invasion, intoxication, TX

No charges for man who shot drunk U. of C. student

A man who shot a threatening University of Chicago student in the chest Wednesday night acted in self defense and will not be charged, authorities said today.

The student, who was reported to be in critical condition, threatened to hit a fellow apartment-building dweller with a vodka bottle and kicked in the door of the man's Hyde Park apartment, police said.

The incident began about 7:30 p.m. as the student and shooter were riding together in an elevator of their apartment building in the 5400 block of South Cornell Avenue, Chicago Police Officer Laura Kubiak said.

The 24-year-old student, who was drunk and carrying a vodka bottle, followed the man out of the elevator and down the hall, threatening to "hit him in the head with the bottle," Kubiak said. As the man entered his apartment, the student kicked the door and pushed it open, continuing to yell threats, she said.

The apartment's resident retrieved a handgun and shot the student once in the chest as he entered the apartment, Kubiak said.

The student was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was in critical condition as of Wednesday night, Kubiak said. An update on his condition was not available this morning.

Detectives questioned the gunman, who was released without charges after prosecutors decided he had acted in self-defense, according to Kubiak.

Labels: assault, home invasion, IL, intoxication

Carter Albrecht, musician with Sorta, New Bohemians, dies in shooting

The local music community was left stunned Monday by the fatal shooting of a well-known musician who authorities say beat up his girlfriend and then tried to kick in a neighbor's door in an apparent drunken rage.

Jeffrey Carter Albrecht, 34, died early Monday after being shot in the head by the neighbor, who thought he was a burglar. Police said the girlfriend had bruises on her face but did not suffer serious injuries. The couple did not have a history of domestic violence, police said.

Mr. Albrecht, who went by his middle name, was a guitarist and keyboardist best known for his work with the Dallas rock band Sorta as well as with Edie Brickell & New Bohemians.

"It's a sad day for Dallas music," local concert promoter Mike Snider said. "He was a musical genius, a real prodigy — everything came to him naturally. He was an incredible instrumentalist — when he played, you could really see the joy he got out of playing."

According to police, Mr. Albrecht and his girlfriend had been partying at a Greenville Avenue bar. He had gotten drunk, and she had driven them to her home in the 9000 block of Santa Clara Drive, just east of White Rock Lake, police said.

The girlfriend told police that Mr. Albrecht slammed a drinking glass on a table, cutting his hand. He then struck the girlfriend in the face several times with his fist, knocking her to the floor at about 4 a.m. Monday, the report said.

He hit her in the back while she was on the floor, the report said. She broke away from Mr. Albrecht and ran outside. He followed her, according to the report. She then went around to the back yard and through the back door, locking Mr. Albrecht out, the report said.

Mr. Albrecht "attempted a few times to gain access to the … residence by knocking and banging on the door," but could not get in, the report said. Police believe Mr. Albrecht then went to the back of nearby neighbor's home.

The neighbor told police "he was awakened when he heard his wife screaming that someone was breaking into the house." The man was kicking and banging at the door, and the homeowner yelled at him to stop.

When the man, identified as Mr. Albrecht, didn't stop, the homeowner who was armed with a handgun "shot one time at the top of the door," the report said.

"He was trying to shoot over his head to scare him away," but Mr. Albrecht "is rather tall," said Sgt. Larry Lewis, a homicide supervisor, estimating the musician's height to be 6-foot-5.

Mr. Albrecht was shot once time in the head and died at the scene.

Police did not release the name of the homeowner who shot Mr. Albrecht. Investigators said the case will be referred to the grand jury to determine whether any charges will be filed.

A new law, nicknamed the "Castle doctrine," eliminates the requirement that someone has to retreat before using deadly force to defend themselves. The law already allows a person to use deadly force to prevent someone from committing a break-in at night.

Dallas police believe shooting of keyboardist was self-defense

The shooting death of a member of Edie Brickell and New Bohemians appears to fall under state law permitting deadly force in self-defense, police and prosecutors said Tuesday.

A grand jury will decide whether the man who shot Jeffrey Carter Albrecht will be indicted, but Sgt. Larry Lewis said Dallas police aren't pursuing charges.

Police said Albrecht, 34, was inebriated and had been fighting with his girlfriend Monday before he was shot by a neighbor of the girlfriend.

"I am heart broken," Edie Brickell wrote in an e-mail to The Associated Press on Tuesday.

The neighbor, who was not immediately identified, woke up around 4 a.m. to his wife screaming that someone was breaking into the house, police said. The neighbor yelled through the door for Albrecht to leave and then fired his handgun through the door, hitting Albrecht in the head.

"He yelled several verbal warnings, 'I'll shoot! I'll shoot!'," Lewis said. "From what we gather, he fired near the top of the door, hoping he would scare the person away."

The homeowner was not arrested.

The shooting came two days after the enactment of a new state law, nicknamed the "Castle Doctrine," that gives Texans a stronger legal right to defend themselves with deadly force in their homes, cars and workplaces.

Lewis, however, said the shooter appeared to be protected under an earlier law that allows a person to protect their property with deadly force to "prevent the other's imminent commission ... of criminal mischief during the nighttime."

Dallas District Attorney Craig Watkins said that in shootings like this, he'd be surprised to see a grand jury return an indictment.

"In an incident like that you're well within your rights under the old law, as well as the new one, to use deadly force," Watkins said.

Labels: intoxication, intruder, TX

‘I just kind of cringed'

Caley, 38, had just finished a late-night shift of hunting down bail jumpers and had bought some food at the Whataburger on May Avenue, just south of I-44, Tuesday morning. The father of two got onto I-44 eastbound, and by the time he got to Pennsylvania Avenue, he had noticed a truck swerving, he said.

He followed, and as they neared northbound I-35, Caley said he knew he was tailing a drunken driver. He called 911 and got on the line with an Oklahoma Highway Patrol dispatcher. He can be heard on the 911 recording telling the dispatcher:

"I'm following a drunk driver. He's on the shoulder.”

A second later, Caley's voice intensifies as he tells the dispatcher there's been an accident, that the driver has hit two cars parked along the interstate's shoulder.

"I think there's a fatality. Yup, there's a fatality. There's a guy underneath the car. I don't think he made it.”

"As I watched it happen, I just kind of cringed,” he said Wednesday.

Caley and the pickup driver pulled over. Caley was closest to the accident. The pickup's hazard lights flicked on and Caley turned to go help the injured. He thought the pickup driver was going to follow, but he didn't.

"Hey, hey, hey ... the guy's running. The guy's running. He's on foot. He's going into the grass.”

Still on the phone with the dispatcher, Caley jumped back into his truck and gave chase across the ditch, quickly closing the 500-yard head start the man had on him. He jumped out of the truck, ran down a ditch and grabbed the man, who struggled.

Caley's cell phone was on his front seat, capturing everything on the 911 recording.

"Get on the ground. Get on the ground. I got him right now.”

Caley said Wednesday he dragged the man up the side of the ditch and eventually had to pull his weapon, which was under the seat of his truck.

Labels: intoxication, nl, OK